Improvement in tamping-plugs



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GABRIEL A. REICHERT, JR., OF MANORVILLE, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO GEORGE M. READ', OF KIITTANNING, AND JOHN H. REICHERT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IIN TAMPING-PLUGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 158,126, dated December 22, 1874; application filed August 10, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, G. A. REICHERT, Jr., of Manorville, in the county of Armstrong and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tamping Plugs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a clear and exact description of the nature thereof, sufficient to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to fully understand, make, and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making part of this specication, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of the device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section thereof'. Fig. 3 is a frontend view thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several gures.

This invention consists in expansible rings surrounding the expansible jaw of the plug, the rings and plug being formed with tongues and grooves, so that when the plug is tightened in the bore it cannot disengage from the rings and be ejected rearward.

lt also consists in the combination of expansible jaws, a conical core inclosed therein, a driver for the core to expand the jaws, rings surrounding the jaws to cause the plug to take firm hold of the bore, and tongues and grooves in the jaws and rings to prevent ejection of the plug to the rear.

Referring to the drawings, A represents two semicircular hollow jaws, which are jointed to a rear block, B, in which is fitted a screw, C, or through an opening in which may be passed a rod, or other suitable implement, which I denominate a driver, the use of which will be presently explained. The inner faces of the jaws A are conical, the narrowest portion being in front, and within the jaws is located a conical core, D, which has a longitudinal forward motion between the jaws, the rear portion of the core having the driver C brought up against it, in order to impart the aforesaid motion to the core. E represents expansible rings, which are placed on the jaws A, near the front and rear thereof, the

ends of the rings being preferably lap-jointed, as seen in Fig. 3. Lugs or tongues E are secured to or cast with the jaws A, and at corresponding points on the inner faces of the front rings E there are formed grooves F', which extend longitudinally. At the forward end of the core D there is secured a head, G, to which the cartridge or paper of powder or other explosive will be secured, in any proper manner. An opening will be formed in the rear block,A one of the jaws, the core, and front head, for the reception and uninterrupted passage of the fuse H.

rEhe operation is as follows: The rings are applied to the jaws A by having the lugs and grooves register, and slipping the jaws beyond the lugs. A partial turn of the rings will clear the lugs of the groove, and thus lock the rings on the jaws. The joints, also, of the rings should be at different points or broken. rlhe explosive being secured to the head G, the device is placed in the bore of the mineral to be broken, and the driver G so operated that the core D is forced forward. This expands the jaws A, and consequently expands the rings E, and causes the latter to take firm hold of the face of the mineral,

the surface of the rings being roughened or rasped, in order to insure their hold. The fuse is then ignited, and the explosive thus discharged.

It will be seen that the rings at the front and rear ends of the jaws are expanded simultaneously and uniformly, for as soon as the core begins its forward motion the jaws are expanded at both ends, and thus both ends of the device are secured to the bore of the mineral.

It will also be seen that the ejection of the body of the device is prevented by the locking-joint between the rings and jaws, so that as long as the rings retain their hold on the bore of the mineral, the jaws A will remain connected to the ring, whereby the tamping operation is reliable and safe.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let'J ters Patent, is

1. The rings E and jaws A, formed with pansible rings E encircling the jaws A, all the locking-tongues F and grooves F', and constructed, combined, and operating suboperating substantially as and for the purpose stantially as and for the purpose set forth.

set forth. G. A. REIGHERT, JR.

2. The jaws A, jointed to the rear block B, Witnesses: the core D inclosed by said jaws, the driver JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM,

G passing through the block B, and the eX- A. P. GRANT. 

